Tá sé i mbéal an phobail ach céard é an Conradh Fioscach i ndairíre?It is a topical issue but what is the Fiscal Treaty really?Katie McGreal

Beidh ar mhuintir na hÉireann vóta a chaitheamh ar Chonradh Fioscach an Aontais Eorpaigh ag deireadh na míosa seo, ar an 31 Bealtaine.The Irish people must vote on the Fiscal Treaty of the European Union at the end of this month, on the 31st May.

(Nóta : Is é 'Reifreann ar an gConradh Cobhsaíochta' an t-ainm oifigiúil atá ar an reifreann seo i nGaeilge)(Note: This referendum is called ‘Reifreann ar an gConradh Cobhsaíochta’ in the Irish language)

Ach céard a chiallaíonn an Conradh Cobhsaíochta, go ginearálta, don tír, do limistéar an euro agus don Aontas Eorpach?But what does the Stability Treaty mean, in general, for the country, for the Euro zone and for the European Union?

Tá ar 17 tír atá i limistéar an Euro cinneadh a dhéanamh mar gheall ar an gConradh seo agus is muidne an t-aon tír atá ag reáchtáil reifreann ar an gceist. Déanfaidh parlaimintí na dtíortha eile an cinneadh ar son a bpobal.17 countries that are in the Eurozone must make a decision regarding this Treaty and we are the only country holding a referendum on the issue. The parliaments of the other countries will make the decision on behalf of their peoples.

“Mhol an tArd-Aighne do rialtas na hÉireann gur cheart reifreann a bheith againn toisc go n-athróidh an Conradh seo cuspóir agus spriocanna an Aontais Eorpaigh,” a deir an Coimisiún Reifrinn.‘The Attorney General recommended to the Irish government that we should have a referendum because this Treaty will change the objective and targets of the European Union,’ say the Referendum Commission.

Glaoitear reifreann ar vóta a athróidh bunreacht na tíre agus athróidh an Conradh Fioscach bunreacht na hÉireann. Má ghlacann 12 tír as an 17 atá i limistéar an euro leis an gconradh beidh siad in ann é a chur i bhfeidhm. A referendum is called on a vote which changes the constitution of the country and the Fiscal Treaty will change the Irish constitution. If 12 of the 17 countries in the Eurozone accept the treaty they will be able to implement it.

Mura nglacaimid leis an gConradh, beimid fós san Aontas Eorpach agus beimid fós i gcóras an euro. Níl baint ag an gConradh seo leis an Aontas Eorpach. Baineann sé le limistéar an euro amháin.If we do not accept the Treaty, we will still be in the European Union and will still be in the Euro system. This Treaty does not relate to the European Union. It relates to the Eurozone only.

An Conradh Fioscach:The Fiscal Treaty:

An aidhm atá leis an gConradh Fioscach ná iarracht a dhéanamh an euro agus limistéar an euro a chur ina chóras airgeadra seasmhach (stable currency system) agus smacht a choinneal ar thíortha na hEorpa ionas nach mbeadh siad in ann níos mó airgid a chaitheamh ná a bhfuil acu. The aim of the Fiscal Treaty is to attempt to place the Euro and the Eurozone into its stable currency system and to keep control of the European countries so that they should not be able to spend more money than they have.

Tá sé mar aidhm ag an gconradh a chinntiú nach dtarlóidh cúlú eacnamaíochta ná borradh réadmhaoine (property boom), macasamhail an chinn a tharla in Éirinn le déanaí. Déanfar é sin le rialacha nua a chur i bhfeidhm, a bheidh mar chuid de dhlíthe na dtíortha a ghlacann leis an gConradh as seo amach.The treaty aims to ensure that a recession or a property boom like the one that happened in Ireland recently does not happen. This will be done by implementing new rules, that in the future will be as part of the laws of the countries accepting the Treaty.

A CLOSER LOOK AT SOME PHRASES:Tá sé i mbéal an phobail ach céard é an Conradh Fioscach i ndairíre?tá xx i mbéal an phobail = everyone is talking about xx / xx is a topical issuecéard é an xx/ cad é an xx = what is the xx?Conradh = TreatyFioscach = Fiscali ndáiríre = seriously / reallytá mé i ndáiríre = I am serious

Beidh ar mhuintir na hÉireann vóta a chaitheamh ar Chonradh Fioscach an Aontais Eorpaigh ag deireadh na míosa seo, ar an 31 Bealtaine.The Irish people must vote on the Fiscal Treaty of the European Union at the end of this month, on the 31st May.Beidh orm vótáil = I will have to votemo vóta a chaitheamh = to cast my ballotag deireadh na míosa = at the end of the monthar an 1 Bealtaine = on the 1st of Mayar an 31 Bealtaine = on the 31st of May

(Nóta : Is é 'Reifreann ar an gConradh Cobhsaíochta' an t-ainm oifigiúil atá ar an reifreann seo i nGaeilge)(Note: This referendum is called ‘Reifreann ar an gConradh Cobhsaíochta’ in the Irish language)reifreann = a referendumar an gconradh = on the treaty/contractan chobsaíocht = the stabilityan conradh cobhsaíochta = the stability treaty

Tá an rialtas agus Fianna Fáil ag iarraidh go vótálfaimis ‘Tá’ agus tá Sinn Féin agus Comhaontas na Clé Aontaithe ag iarraidh go vótálfaimis ‘Níl’.The government and Fianna Fáil are asking that we vote ‘Yes’ and Sinn Féin and the United Left Alliance are asking us to vote ‘No’.an rialtas = the governmentFianna Fáil = a political party which was in government during the boomag iarraidh = askinggo vótálfaimis = that we would/should voteSinn Féin = the political party of the ‘republican’ movement

Ach céard a chiallaíonn an Conradh Cobhsaíochta, go ginearálta, don tír, do limistéar an euro agus don Aontas Eorpach?But what does the Stability Treaty mean, in general, for the country, for the Euro zone and for the European Union?céard/cad a chiallaíonn xx? = what does xx mean?go ginearálta = in generaldon tír = for the countrydo limistéar an euro = for the district of the euroan tAontas Eorpach = the European Union

Tá ar 17 tír atá i limistéar an Euro cinneadh a dhéanamh mar gheall ar an gConradh seo agus is muidne an t-aon tír atá ag reáchtáil reifreann ar an gceist. Déanfaidh parlaimintí na dtíortha eile an cinneadh ar son a bpobal.17 countries that are in the Eurozone must make a decision regarding this Treaty and we are the only country holding a referendum on the issue. The parliaments of the other countries will make the decision on behalf of their peoples.17 tír = 17 countriescinneadh a dhéanamh = to make a decisionmar gheall ar xx = regarding xx / because of xxis muidne na xx = we (emphasised) are the xxmuid = weag reáchtáil an reifrinn = running the referendumar an gceist = on the question / issueparlaimintí na dtíortha eile = the parliaments of the other countriesar son an phobail = on behalf of the community/public/peoplear son a bpobal = on behalf of their communities/people

“Mhol an tArd-Aighne do rialtas na hÉireann gur cheart reifreann a bheith againn toisc go n-athróidh an Conradh seo cuspóir agus spriocanna an Aontais Eorpaigh,” a deir an Coimisiún Reifrinn.‘The Attorney General recommended to the Irish government that we should have a referendum because this Treaty will change the objective and targets of the European Union,’ say the Referendum Commission.Molann xx dom = xx advises me totoisc = becauseathróidh xx = xx will changean cuspóir = the goal/target/objectivespriocanna = targetNot a lot between cuspóir and sprioc - but Irish often uses two words of similar meaning together for emphasis or effect. an coimisiún = the commission

Glaoitear reifreann ar vóta a athróidh bunreacht na tíre agus athróidh an Conradh Fioscach bunreacht na hÉireann. Má ghlacann 12 tír as an 17 atá i limistéar an euro leis an gconradh beidh siad in ann é a chur i bhfeidhm. A referendum is called on a vote which changes the constitution of the country and the Fiscal Treaty will change the Irish constitution. If 12 of the 17 countries in the Eurozone accept the treaty they will be able to implement it.Glaoitear xx = xx is calledan bunreacht = the constitutionmá ghlacann 4 as 5 le xx = if 4 out of 5 accept xxbeidh siad in ann = they will be ableé a chur i bhfeidhm = to put it into effect

Mura nglacaimid leis an gConradh, beimid fós san Aontas Eorpach agus beimid fós i gcóras an euro. Níl baint ag an gConradh seo leis an Aontas Eorpach. Baineann sé le limistéar an euro amháin.If we do not accept the Treaty, we will still be in the European Union and will still be in the Euro system. This Treaty does not relate to the European Union. It relates to the Eurozone only.beimid fós san Aontas Eorpach = we will still be in the European Uniontáimid fós ag fanacht = we are still waitingNíl baint ag Y le X = Y has no bearing on X / Y has nothing to do with X

An Conradh Fioscach:The Fiscal Treaty:

An aidhm atá leis an gConradh Fioscach ná iarracht a dhéanamh an euro agus limistéar an euro a chur ina chóras airgeadra seasmhach (stable currency system) agus smacht a choinneal ar thíortha na hEorpa ionas nach mbeadh siad in ann níos mó airgid a chaitheamh ná a bhfuil acu. The aim of the Fiscal Treaty is to attempt to place the Euro and the Eurozone into its stable currency system and to keep control of the European countries so that they should not be able to spend more money than they have.an aidhm atá le x ná ... = the aim of x is ...an iarracht = the effortiarracht a dhéanamh = to make an effortcóras airgeadra = currency systemseasmhach = stablesmacht a choinneáil ar xx = to keep a control on xxionas = so thationas nach mbeadh siad in ann = so that they would not be ableníos mó airgid = more moneya chaitheamh = to spendná a bhfuil acu = than all that they have

Tá sé mar aidhm ag an gconradh a chinntiú nach dtarlóidh cúlú eacnamaíochta ná borradh réadmhaoine (property boom), macasamhail an chinn a tharla in Éirinn le déanaí. Déanfar é sin le rialacha nua a chur i bhfeidhm, a bheidh mar chuid de dhlíthe na dtíortha a ghlacann leis an gConradh as seo amach.The treaty aims to ensure that a recession or a property boom like the one that happened in Ireland recently does not happen. This will be done by implementing new rules, that in the future will be as part of the laws of the countries accepting the Treaty.tá sé mar aidhm ag xx = it is xx’s objectivea chinntiú = to ensurecúlú = a regression/backing/withdrawalan eacnamaíocht = the economycúlú eacnamaíochta = a recessionan borradh = the growth/surgeréadmhaoin = propertyan mhaoin = the possessions/property/pieces you have playing chess or draughtsborradh réadmhaoine = property booma mhacasamhail = the likes of itle déanaí = recentlydéanfar é sin = that will be donerialacha nua a chur i bhfeidhm = to implement new rulesmar chuid de xx = as part of xxde dhlíthe na dtíortha = of the laws of the countriesas seo amach = in the future

We were graciously given the option of voting on a European treaty here in France a few years back and the result was 'No' - the politicians carried on regardless as if nothing had happened and didn't take a blind bit of notice. I was particularly horrified by N Sarkozy's arrogance when he went over to Ireland and told the people to change their mind, after they had voted 'No' the last time round. Mind you, he was outraged by the cheek of a Greek prime minister who wanted to put to a vote by the Greek people, the terms he and Merkel were demanding of him.